Flannel Monster and Christmas-Part 2

Bella and Lucy got so many cute toys for Christmas and Bella has insisted we get every one of them out of the box and played with! However, I made this flannel board for her for Christmas, and although I hoped she would like it, I think she likes it a little too much! They do flannel stories at her daycare, which is where I got the idea. I have to tell a story or song and she helps putting pieces on the board that go with the story. So it isn't really something she can do by herself and she always wants to play with it!

Our Christmas-Part 2 was with Carlo's family. His mom came up from Florida this year to spend the holidays with us and Carlo's brother and sister. We all went out to eat on Saturday and then went back to our place to open presents. We got to see baby 'Izzy-bell' as Bella would say.

Bella just loved the holidays this year. She gets so excited for the get-togethers, seeing all the relatives, and the presents too! I'm just exhausted from it all! Happy New Year to all!

I just got asked to do flannel stories...again...

Lucy is sick...again... (just another cold)

a merry Christmas

We spent Christmas at my parents' house this year. My 2 sisters and brother along with their families were there as well. Despite 19 of us in one house for 4 days, there were no major mishaps or dramas and we all had fun! Except for the Christmas tree falling over Christmas Eve night. Mind you that this was a huge tree - I would guess about 15 feet tall! Luckily it was after we all opened presents and were out of the room.

It was a perfect setting for Christmas. A log cabin with snow falling. Sledding, ice skating, and fires in the fireplace. We all got to try out the new Wii video game that Bryce and Logan got. Somehow I was the only one who managed to injure myself. Don't ask.

The Williamson Cousins- Bryce (10), Paige (12), Bryn (15), Abby (17), Logan (8), Bella(2), Lucy (0.5), Cooper (1.5), Mia (2), Clark (7)

Bella thanking Abby for a present.

Lucy got Grandma & Grandpa a picture of herself :)

Bryce, Bella, and Logan

Bella and Mia shopping at Clark and Logan's 'store'.

Merry Christmas!

my job

I know many of you don't have the foggiest idea what I do at my job. Below is a link to an article & video of a project I helped design:

http://www.wkyc.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=79704

work, sleep, and play

Well, after an unproductive weekend (full of holiday happenings), Bella & I went off on a muffin baking spree today. 80 pumpkin mini-muffins and a dozen raspberry. There will be 20 of us in one house over the weekend so we'll need all the comfort food we can get! I plan on making some more goodies later in the week too.

Bella slept in until 7:15 this morning. For once she didn't come to our bedroom to wake us up and had to come downstairs to find us! What a treat! Lucy went to bed a bit earlier last night, 8:30, but I still can't figure out how my mom got her asleep for the night at 7:30 on Saturday. Must be a grandma thing.

Bella cracks me up with her pretend play now. It is kind of a new thing for her to imagine, so I guess that's why I think its so funny. She'll load up her grocery cart, put her wallet in her purse, carry her little basket of food and say she's off to the zoo or the store. This picture above is a common sight too. She'll line up all her babies on the stairs and sometimes spread all of Lucy's toys around there too. I'm not sure what's in her head with that one but it keeps her busy!

snow!

OK, old news but we have a TON of snow now! Grandma Shirley, if you are reading this, this is what you are getting yourself into by visiting us!

Besides playing in the snow, we wrapped some Christmas presents. Bella was in charge of sticking the name labels and bows on. She had so much fun that she had a tantrum when we were finished. Who knew sticking bows and stickers on presents could be so much fun?

Lucy continues to teethe. The 2nd tooth on the bottom will be popping through any day now. Makes for a slightly more cranky Lucy, but it could be worse. As long as she keeps sleeping at night (knock on wood)...

Ho Ho Ho!

We had brunch with Santa yesterday. I talked this up to Bella a few days before - telling her how she'd give Santa a hug and sit on his lap. She was very excited to go, but once we got there she wouldn't go near him. The pic below was taken after lots of coaxing and Santa bribing her with a candy cane. Santa didn't phase Lucy one bit though!

Quarantine

The whole family is sick. Lucy and Bella are on week 2 of the cold, and Carlo & I are on week 1. Lucy was the most miserable since it really hit her hard at first. Now they just have a lingering cough and slight runny nose. I heard this thing typically lasts 3 weeks. Great. Lucy's first tooth popped through in the middle of all this just to add to the fun. See below. Bright red cheeks and drool = new tooth. Snotty nose = miserable cold.

On a happier note St. Nick came to our house and daycare on Thursday. Bella was very excited to see what was left in her shoe. Yes, we put our shoes out for St. Nick. When I was little we'd get our shoes filled up with candy and get a present but I have yet to find anyone else who put their shoes out instead of stockings. I don't really know where that shoe tradition stems from. I'm guessing from my mom who has a Scandinavian decent.

Bella and I made a chain to hang up counting the days until Christmas. Every morning she pulls off a link. And on special days (Grandmas visiting, Santa visit, etc) we put a special sticker on so Bella can look forward to them.

Thanksgiving

We had a nice Thanksgiving at home. My parents stayed the weekend so my dad could work on our basement a little and Mom & I could shop.

Black Friday was initially a disappointment, since I didn't get the TV at Target I wanted. I was sooo close, I literally watched a guy take the last one. One more there and it would have been mine. If the stupid Target workers would have told me the correct spot they were in, it would have been mine too. Funny how all the TVs were out of stock online during the sale Fri & Sat, and Sunday morning there would be no problem ordering online at full price! Oh well, it just wasn't meant to be I guess.

After Target, we hit Kohl's, got a few things, waited in line forever, ate breakfast, hit Toys R Us, waited in line forever, hit Gymboree, waited in line forever, hit Boston store, wait was OK there, and finally Kmart. We had other places we could have gone, but we were exhausted and already scored some good deals. 5:30 AM - 2 PM is a very long time for me to shop, since I'm just not a big shopper to begin with. I love Black Friday though. Like Carlo said to me, 'This day is like Christmas for you isn't it?". Yup, pretty much!

Lucy turned 6 months on Friday and Bella is 2-1/2 today. Lucy is still trying to master sitting up, and still trying to get those 2 bottom teeth to poke through. Bella is turning into such a little girl now. Singing songs, taking care of her 'babies', and taking care of Lucy!

Hope everyone had a nice Thanksgiving!

Wanted

So I'm an accessory to a crime. Bella lifted a candy bar from the store the other day. I ran to get one thing and of course there was a long wait at the checkout. So Bella is getting in and out of the stupid car-cart (I hate these carts), touching all the candy and stuff in the check out lane. So I finally get my turn, pay, and wheel the kids out to the car. I get Lucy in the van and realize Bella's sitting in the car-cart, mushing a candy bar in her hands/mouth. Nice. No, the cops didn't come although she did get a long lecture from me!

good morning!

Our morning routine usually consists of Carlo getting up with Bella at some ungodly hour and he sleeps on the couch while she watches a show and munches some cereal. We even have a sleeping bag next to the couch just for Carlo's early morning 'nap'. After I get up and Carlo leaves, I wait for the time during Sesame Street when Elmo comes on, and I take my shower. The idea is that Elmo keeps Bella's attention and she is less likely to get into trouble. Guess it didn't work the other day, because I came downstairs to this mess. A whole box of cereal dumped out in my living room! The dogs had a nice snack though!

Baby Isabel and Aunt Lisa came over for a visit today. We had nice visit during an unusually long Bella nap. Isabel is growing... there isn't as much of a difference now even though she and Lucy are 3 months apart.

Lucy (left) and Isabel (right)

trendy me

I am such a trendsetter! Both my sisters (Meg and Beth) and my work buddy (Kim) have created blogs since mine. And here I thought my blog would be looked at as dorky! Maybe I should give credit to my friend Amy though, who got me into the blogging world in the first place!

Wiggles

So does anyone know how to teach a 2-yr old how to tell time? I tried telling Bella that 2:30 am is not an acceptable hour to wake up and watch a movie. Didn't like that response, so she had about a half hour tantrum in bed before she finally went back to sleep. I never should have gotten that Wiggles video. Its addicting... even to Carlo and me. Can't get those songs out of my head!

Trick or Treat...again

Had trick or treat in our neighborhood last night. Bella had a blast. She is really coming out of her shell lately. She would say 'trick or treat' and 'thank you' and loved seeing all the other kids in costume. I could hardly make her wait until Daddy got home so we could go out. The best costumes I saw were 3 boys dressed as oompaloompas (sp?).

Too bad we have tons of candy left. Same thing happened last year. I was prego with Lucy and the doctor noticed I gained a bit more than usual. I'm a sucker for chocolate and sweets.

OK, here's the last pic of a Halloween costume, I promise (well, just until next year):

Trick or Treat

We decided to do trick or treating at the zoo this year. We had so much fun that I think we'll make this a Halloween tradition. Seeing all the kids in their cute costumes and having others comment on Bella & Lucy's costumes was worth it. Bella was a cow, so many kids and parents would point out the 'cow' to others. Some lady even had to take a picture of her too.

Bella loves the goat yard. I went in with her and Carlo stayed out with Lucy and watched. He said Bella had the biggest smile on her face the entire time she was in there. I love that simple things like that can just make her day.

Today we (okay not we but I) carved Bella's pumpkin. It has been a long time since I carved a pumpkin but I still cannot stand the smell of pumpkin guts. Turns my stomach. Bella helped me with that, and collecting the seeds so we can roast them.

5 months

Happy 5 months Lucy (a day late)!

Lucy is getting better at sitting up - she can sit for a while now with just the boppy pillow behind her. She loves when her big sister sings or talks to her. She will imitate sounds a little and tries to 'talk' back to us. We think a tooth may be in her near future too.

Bella is talking a lot now too. She can sing full songs now and wants to talk on the phone. She got very upset at me today when I hung up with my sister and didn't let her say hi.

Bella and I made this ghost the other day. Got the idea from another blog I read.

Here's a link to a recipe for some yummy pumpkin bread: Melt in Your Mouth Pumpkin Bread. I made it for a potluck last weekend and got lots of compliments and I'm making it again for Thanksgiving. I added nutmeg, more cinnamon, and 2 tsp baking powder to it though.

Halloween a little early

Bella & Lucy had a Halloween party at their daycare on Saturday. They had set up a neat 'pumpkin patch' in one area for the kids to pick a pumpkin. Other than that, we just ate and the kids ran around. Bella isn't as wild as a lot of the other kids, in fact, it took her almost the entire party to finally warm up to the others there. I won't complain about it though, I'll take mellow over wild any day!



Here's Lucy as a horse. By the time I got the camera out, Bella wouldn't keep the hood of her costume on so I'll wait until Halloween to post a pic of her.

In other news, Lucy fell on her head on our hard dining room floor tonight. Carlo was getting her out of the swing, opened the tray thing in front of her, but didn't take her out right away. She leaned forward and fell out. He claims he cushioned her head before it hit the floor... She seems OK though. We had my sister & family over for dinner so they witnessed the whole thing. Hopefully they won't call protective services on us!


I realized I talked to my Mom yesterday and totally forgot it was their anniversary. So happy anniversary Mom & Dad! 45 years (I think) ;)

Backyard

Grandma & Grandpa left yesterday which made Bella sad. When I picked her up from daycare, she asked, "Grandma & Grandpa home?". She expected to see them again at our home.

We again spent some time outside today. Is it really October in Wisconsin? This morning I survived the library, park, and Target with the girls without much incident. This aft Bella & I played out in the yard while Lucy napped.

This is our backyard "nature trail" that Carlo made. Its just a cleared out path in the way back of our yard. Bella is pretty into it though, and now it is actually nice to walk through since there are no mosquitoes!

I told Bella to hug the tree and she actually did. We may get through this 2-yr old stage after all!

Go Packers!

Carlo & I took a trip up to Lambeau Field with my sister and her husband on Sunday to watch the Packers win! Although it was sprinkling/misting throughout the game, it was a awesome game to watch. Kept us on the edge of our seats until the last play!

Grandma & Grandpa babysat. Lucy is still in her stranger-phase so Grandma was nervous to take care of her. Prior to us leaving, Lucy would cry and scream when ever they would hold her or even talk to her. Turns out that when I am not around she is just fine. Funny that she is that smart to put on a 'I want Mommy' act just around me!

One of our Packer-backers back home (Lucy looked like a little boy in her Packer gear so no pic of her!).Poncho-wearing weather... at least it wasn't snowing!

Serenity now!

What a morning. Bella was just crabby due to a late night and early morning. Note: crabby = whining and constant crying. I decided to torture myself further by taking a trip to the store with both girls. To spare the details, Bella definitely needed her nap today but it took her almost an hour to get to sleep. I was getting nervous. Bella finally slept and then Lucy decided to nap too! Hooray! Then came the knock at the door - the stupid mailman with a certified letter. Pasta barking like a psycho-dog. Lucy crying. NO!!! The good news is all is well, Lucy went back to sleep, Bella never woke up, and they're still sleeping now (probably shouldn't have written that). Dogs sleeping too. Anyone want an extremely barky Italian Greyhound?

I'm looking forward to a visit from my parents this weekend, and a much needed break from the kids on Sunday!

What happens to Lucy during a call from Mommy's work.

Shorts weather

Rumor is that this was the last day of shorts weather. I made sure we got out and spent time playing outside. I am exhausted so this is short. For some reason we generated a ton of laundry last week that I'm still trying to get done. That and I did a little number on my back trying to power-swiffer the floors when both the girls were sleeping (a rare event). Not to mention pushing that monster double stroller to the park and back!

Weekend

woo...scary ghosts!

Saturday we went to a pumpkin farm/corn maze place. It was hot but Bella had fun with the little games they had there.

After a long hot day with no nap, Bella decided to take a snooze on the floor before dinner. After dinner it was right up to bed :)

Lucy is best little trooper. She gets dragged along everywhere but she hardly complains. Both Carlo & I notice how happy of a baby she is. Not that Bella wasn't, but it is so easy to put a smile on that face and make her laugh.

Badgers ended their winning streak - let's hope the Packers keep theirs going!

Happy Birthday Logan!

Bye-bye bouncy chair

My baby has outgrown one of my favorite baby toys... the bouncy chair. Lucy can now sit up in it, topple over to the side, and be left to hang there. Dang, I really loved the bouncy chair. Its easy to transport, can be used for sleep & play, and can be put up on counters/tables out of harm's (Bella's) way. I'm sure I'll try it a few more times before it gets put away for good though!

Now that Lucy is playing more, Bella feels that she needs to join in the fun too. She'll get under the play gym with Lucy, put her baby in the jumperoo with Lucy and load her up with toys if Bella thinks she needs them. She's also starting to hit Lucy more...

Fall

Sunday was such a nice day that we decided to head out and enjoy some of the early colors of fall at Minooka park. Bella liked finding leaves, acorns, sticks, etc and Lucy just relaxed in the stroller the whole time. They just opened a dog park there and Pasta & Shadow had the whole run to themselves. If there was another dog in there we probably would have stayed out (if you know Pasta you understand this!).

Lucy is going thru a 'stranger' phase now. She couldn't get used to her Aunt Evie yesterday and has gotten scared with other people too. It seems early for her to do this but I think Bella went through the same thing too.

Go Packers!

Early bird

You would think that if Bella would stay up close to 10 pm that she'd sleep in a little the next morning, right? Well, she slept maybe an extra half hour, until 6:30, but that wasn't enough for me! Oh well, I really didn't expect it, I just hoped. Thank God for coffee!

Last night Bella & I went to the Menomonee Falls high school football game. My 3 nieces were playing in the half time show so we went to see them. I have never seen so many kids in my life! The Falls have just 1 high school and its huge. It took forever for us to even find a parking space. Anyway, it was fun to go to a high school game again and get a taste of the teenage drama/gossip/romance. Not sure how my sister handles all that but I'm not looking forward to it with my girls!

Yesterday, Bella wanted to "carry" Lucy.

13 lbs 3 oz

Lucy went to the doctor today for her 4 mo checkup. 13 lbs 3 oz and 25 inches - no wonder that car seat is getting so hard to carry around! She's actually average on the charts for weight and a little on the tall side.

Yea.. its TV premire week :) I just watched Dancing with the Stars. Yes, I'm one of those people. Often the people I associate with think that show is very dorky but I love it! I even went to their live show with my mom and sister last winter. I usually get the really wide-eyed look reaction when I tell people that! And how cool that Drew Lachey is one of the hosts! He is my favorite. I'll have to ask my nieces about that Cheetah Girl that's on the show - she was the best one tonight. Now I'm just waiting for The Office premire on Thursday!

Lucy from a few wks ago when it was so cold.

4 months

Happy 4 months Lucy!

Today I went with Carlo's sister and my sister to the Cheery Cherry craft fair in Menomonee Falls. We go to this fair every year since it has some of the higher-end craft stuff there. Although I tried not to spend too much, I broke down and got a nice sturdy basket for the purpose of storing some of the kids' toys. Beth & Evie can agree that I really wanted that basket :)

Yesterday we visited Isabel, Bella & Lucy's newest cousin. Isn't she adorable? That makes 11 cousins now! When asked if we should bring Isabel home with us, Bella quickly responded a definite "no!"

Good eats

Wow - I've been out to eat 2 nights in a row. I say 'wow' because it is pretty rare that we go out these days. I had a work thing at Mader's last night and had a great tasting beer there. I think it tasted so good probably because it was my first beer since Lucy. I've had wine and other stuff but I'm usually not much of a beer drinker. Anyway, it was a Spaten Oktoberfest and I highly recommend it. Tonight we went to Culvers to celebrate Carlo's last day at his current job. He'll be off to Weimer-Bearing in Menomonee Falls next week to start his new job. Yea :)

A trip to the zoo this morning.

Did I mention Lucy likes her Jumperoo? She'll even sleep in there!

Good day

Today was a pretty good day - it was so nice out! We had Bella's storytime at the library and then played at the park there for a while. Lucy has even been in a park swing now. Funny, but I would have never done that with Bella at 3 months!

I've been trying to get a strategy together for all my pictures. I started using Shutterfly to sort them. Instead of printing the individual 4x6 prints I think I'm going to create photo books where the photos are printed on the page of the book for you. That way it will be kind of like scrapbooking with a lot less work! I'm saving that for a winter project though.

Lucy enjoying her Jumperoo

1st Post!

OK... my first post but I don't plan on being a regular blogger. I've just been pulled into this by some of the other cool blogs I've seen around. I feel guilty spending time doing fun computer things rather than clean my house or something, but honestly, I'm holding a cranky Lucy now while I'm doing this so basically I'd be watching TV or be on the computer anyway, right??

Our eventful weekend can best be explained by pics:

First, Bella's first crash into the corner of the coffee table. Ouch :(

And second, Bella's first haircut!

The first is the before and the next two are the after shots.

She did well through both events!